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Rural Virginia in Focus
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Strengthening Rural Communities
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The Office of Broadband has signed first BEAD award contracts
Virginia is making continued progress toward expanding broadband access statewide, with internet service providers FiberLync Internet, GigaBeam Networks, and IBT Group officially signing contracts for their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) awards.
With agreements now finalized, providers can begin the required environmental review process ahead of construction. These projects represent an important step toward delivering reliable, high-speed internet access to the remaining 85,000 unserved locations across the Commonwealth.
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Rural Partner Spotlight
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2026 NRHA Rural Health Awards
The Virginia State Office of Rural Health congratulates two outstanding Virginia leaders recently recognized by the National Rural Health Association for their contributions to rural health.
- Dr. Brittany Howell, associate professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and Virginia Tech, received the NRHA Outstanding Researcher Award for her leadership in advancing rural health research and child development studies. Her work continues to strengthen understanding of health outcomes impacting children and families in rural communities.
- Beth O’Connor, Executive Director of the Virginia Rural Health Association, received the Rosemary McKenzie Legacy Award for her long standing advocacy and leadership in advancing rural health equity. Through her work, publications, and the Rural Health Voice podcast, she continues to elevate the needs and voices of underserved rural communities across Virginia and the nation.
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Bath County Leadership
The Virginia State Office of Rural Health proudly congratulates Lori Hicks, Director of Community Impact and Population Health at Bath Community Hospital, on being named Staff Member of the Year at the Bath County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.
This well deserved recognition reflects Lori’s dedication to improving health and wellness in rural communities through leadership, outreach, and community focused initiatives. Her commitment continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of residents across Bath County and the surrounding region.
Congratulations, Lori, and thank you for your service to rural Virginia.
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Policy Updates
Governor Spanberger Signs Bipartisan Bills to Cap Cost of Insulin, Lower Healthcare & Prescription Drug Costs
May 13, 2026, FAIRFAX, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today signed a package of bipartisan legislation to tackle the high cost of healthcare, make prescription drugs more affordable, and ensure more Virginians have access to the care they need.
Governor Spanberger Announces Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon Receives First Rural Health Transformation Grant
The Governor Announced the $127,000 Award & Held a Roundtable Discussion at the College to Discuss Challenges Facing Healthcare Providers in Southwest Virginia
ABINGDON, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today highlighted Virginia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen rural healthcare access and workforce development during a visit to Virginia Highlands Community College.
During the visit, Governor Spanberger announced a first-of-its-kind Rural Health Transformation grant: a $127,500 award to Virginia Highlands Community College to expand healthcare workforce training opportunities. The award is funded through Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation initiative, which will deliver $189.5 million in year-one funding as part of a multi-year effort to strengthen and modernize rural healthcare systems across the Commonwealth.
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Funding Focus
Rural Health Transformation in Virginia: Updates, Opportunities, and Next Steps Webinar
Virginia residents, healthcare providers, educators, community organizations, and potential partners are encouraged to register for the Commonwealth’s Rural Health Transformation Webinar to learn more about funding opportunities, implementation priorities, and ways to participate in the initiative.
Webinar: June 3, 2026, 2 pm - 3 pm
For more information and to register, click here.
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HRSA Healthy Grants Workshop Registration Open
There is no cost to attend, and you can attend as many sessions as you like. See the webpage for the schedule of upcoming workshops, including sessions on Wednesday, June 10, covering Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Best Practices for Budgeting and Rebudgeting.
Registration is open for May, June, July, and August 2026
Healthy Grants Workshops webpage
Promise Neighborhoods Program
Department of Education grants to support improvement in the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth in the most distressed communities. Projects should work to ensure school readiness, high school graduation, and access to a community-based continuum of high-quality services.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Letter of Intent (Optional): Jun 22, 2026
Promise Neighborhoods Program
Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG)
FEMA and DHS grants for fire departments, EMS organizations, and fire academies for equipment, training, personnel wellness programs, capital funding, and collaboration/regional communication efforts.
Application Deadline: Jun 22, 2026
Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG)
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Workforce Corner
Update on the VDH Nursing Workforce Incentive Programs
On March 31, 2026, Governor Spanberger signed Senate Bill 405, a bill that transfers all existing nursing workforce incentive programs at VDH to the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority’s (VHWDA) Virginia Nursing Workforce Center effective July 1, 2026. In preparation for this transition, VDH will no longer accept Nurse Preceptor Incentive Program (NPIP) applications after April 30, 2026. Any applications received by April 30, 2026, will be reviewed by VDH for processing. Please bookmark the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center’s website to get the latest information on NPIP and how to apply.
NRHA Career Center
Take advantage of our job seeker account features below to help you do your research, find the right job opportunity, and get your experience and skill set in front of your ideal employer.
3RNET
The Nation’s Most Trusted Resource for Health Professionals Seeking
Careers in Rural and Underserved Communities. It is the job board when it comes to rural and underserved opportunities for over 300 different health care professions & specialties.
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Resources
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Maternal Mental Health- There is LIFE Beyond the Blues
The Virginia Department of Health has launched an online resource hub for mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This webpage provides:
- Information on postpartum depression and other mental health conditions during pregnancy and after delivery
- Support resources for families
- A Beyond the Blues campaign toolkit you can use in your community
- An opportunity to share your experience with mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period
Postpartum depression is a perinatal (perinatal means before and after birth) mood and anxiety disorder. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are the #1 complication of pregnancy and childbirth, and depression is one of the most common issues people experience.
The good news? You are not alone and postpartum depression can be treated. There are resources out there to help you feel better, and we want to make sure families know how to find them!
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NRHA introduces resources on the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)
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A directory of RHTP state contacts to provide you with a list of RHTP contacts for each state.
- A calendar with upcoming funding deadlines for each state in order to track state funding opportunities.
- A map to provide a visualization of where states are in terms of their roll out process of RHTP Year One funding.
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Training & Events
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Virginia PCO Stakeholder Office Hours
The Virginia Primary Care Office (PCO), represented by Anna Riggan and Liza Root, conducts Quarterly Stakeholder Office Hours. The purpose of these office hours is to improve communication with our partners, share updates from the PCO and HRSA, and offer practical training opportunities to support your efforts in Virginia's primary care landscape.
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October 21, 2025 – National Shortage Designation Update Breakdown
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January 12, 2026 – Introduction to Publicly Available Data Sources
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April 28, 2026 – National Health Service Corps (NHSC) New Site Certification and Introduction to HPSA Strategies
To access the presentation slides, recordings, and more, please click the button below.
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Level I of the NOSORH Grant Writing Institute Is Now Open
NOSORH is excited to announce that Level I of the redesigned Grant Writing Institute (GWI) is now open for registration!
Level I: Fundamentals of Rural Grant Writing is a three-part, on-demand webinar series focused on the core elements of rural health grant development. Participants will explore grant terminology, concept development, using data to strengthen project ideas, and strategies for identifying rural health funding opportunities that align with community needs and organizational capacity. Cost: $300
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Virginia Free Charitable Clinics Virtual Summit
June 8 - 12, 2026
Enhance your skills and support the healthcare safety net at the VAFCC’s 2026 Virtual Summit. This year’s event features expert-led tracks on grant strategy, trauma-informed care, diabetes technology, and workplace well-being. Registration for non-member organizations is just $100 for your entire team. Don’t miss this opportunity for high-impact, accessible professional development. See the full agenda here: https://www.vafreeclinics.org/event
Looking for high-impact professional development for your nonprofit or healthcare team? The VAFCC Virtual Summit returns June 8-12 and offers a curated week of expert-led sessions that are:
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Affordable - $100 flat fee for partner organizations to send all their staff
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Flexible - join just the tracks that matter most to you!
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Convenient – access from the comfort of your own office
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Stroudwater's Sixth Annual Virtual CAH Conference
Jun 9, 2026 11:00 AM - Thu, Jun 18, 3:00 PM
Join Stroudwater Associates for the Sixth Annual Virtual Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Conference, focused on sustaining rural labor and delivery programs and strengthening the future of rural healthcare.
Last year’s conference brought together more than 1,500 rural healthcare leaders from across the country to discuss practical solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. This year’s virtual event will feature sessions on:
- Building the rural workforce of the future
- Moving CAHs from vulnerability to sustainability
- Strategies for the future of rural healthcare
- Service line development best practices grounded in financial and operational realities
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3RNET National Conference for the Future of Family Medicine
Join us in Kansas City, MO this summer!
July 30 – August 1, 2026
This is your biggest in-person marketing opportunity of the year with 3RNET. 3RNET makes it easy for you to show up and shine!
When you join us at FUTURE, you’re putting your state directly in front of family medicine residents and students who are actively planning their careers.
This is your chance to build relationships, spark interest, and grow your candidate pipeline face-to-face!
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Critical Access Conference
Kansas City, MO
September 16 - 18, 2026, Registration opens in May.
This is your chance to take advantage of over 40 educational and networking opportunities designed for clinic and hospital professionals and board members serving rural America.
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RHIhub Rural Data Visualizations
RHIhub’s Rural Data Visualization section provides access to a range of tools to explore issues that impact rural health. The visualizations are based on data from federal and other publicly available data sources, and illustrate that data in a variety of formats to show how rural areas compare. Data is also available for download.
Separated into three categories:
- Rural Data Explorer- interactive map
- Chart Gallery- charts, graphs and maps
- Maps- national maps
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On the Air
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New Insights on the Rural Public Health Workforce, with Casey Balio and Betty Bekemeier
An interview with Casey Balio, PhD, research assistant professor at the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research, and Betty Bekemeier, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, director of the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. In this episode, we learn about new insights about the rural public health workforce from their recent research study published in the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.
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A rural-urban residency rotation model
“Reimagining Rural Health,” a conversation series brought to you by Sanford Health. In this series, Sanford Health leaders and expert guests share insights, innovations and real-world solutions to the toughest challenges in healthcare today. Each episode explores the ideas, tools and partnerships advancing rural healthcare and strengthening care in communities across the country.
Joining us in this episode is Dr. Daniel Hoody, chief medical officer and chief physician at Sanford Health in Northern Minnesota, as well as Dr. Meghan Walsh, chief academic officer and president of the medical staff at Hennepin Healthcare.
Together, they explore how a rural-urban residency rotation model offers an innovative, scalable approach to physician training — one that addresses rural workforce challenges while strengthening the resident experience.
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Healthy Living
USDA Eat Real Food Toolkit
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture have released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, emphasizing a simple message: eat real food. Better health starts with choosing whole, nutrient‑dense foods—such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, healthy fats, and protein foods—while limiting highly processed items, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates.
Click below to read the full Dietary Guidelines and explore new resources as they become available.
USDA Nutritional Recipe Collection
Explore a curated selection of healthy recipes from federal government and Cooperative Extension sources. Use the four filters below or enter a keyword in the search box to find recipes that meet your needs. Additional recipes are also available through MyPlate Kitchen and SNAP‑Ed Connection.
- Meal Type
- Categories
- Food Groups
- Season
Forest Service, USDA, National Trails Day: June 6, 2026
The U.S. Forest Service has added a new fee‑free day for 2026 in honor of National Trails Day on June 6. Visitors can enjoy no‑cost access to standard amenity day‑use recreation sites across national forests and grasslands. (Participation may vary at concession‑operated sites.)
2026 Forest Service Fee‑Free Days
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January 19
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Presidents’ Day — February 16
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Memorial Day — May 25
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National Trails Day — June 6
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National Get Outdoors Day — June 13
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Independence Day — July 4
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Constitution Day — September 17
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National Public Lands Day — September 26
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Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday — October 27
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Veterans Day — November 11
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Follow Us!
"Like" us on Facebook and visit our website to receive updates on Virginia rural health issues and important messages from our community partners.
Visit the VA-SORH Facebook Page | Visit our VA-SORH Website
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